


Ice Bath

by stumblinginthestars



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Ice Baths, M/M, Mutual Pining, daisuga - Freeform, nervous Suga, suga cannot handle cold that well, the team ships it, worried daichi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-05-10 05:49:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5573202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stumblinginthestars/pseuds/stumblinginthestars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Coach Ukai decides to test out a new cool-down technique after summer practice one day. Daichi tries not to worry when Sugawara doesn't seem to be handling it as well as the others. He fails.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ice Bath

 

The team finishes running two miles, huffing and puffing as they slow to a stop before the gym doors. This particular training session had been particularly tough. Not because of the drills, but because of the summer’s heat. There had not been one cloud to dim the sun’s glare the entirety of their run and all the boys were feeling it as they began towards the doors. A couple claps made them turn their attention to the field alongside the gymnasium where Coach Ukai stood amongst six knee-high silver tubs.

“Come over here to stretch out, boys!” Coach Ukai instructs.

The twelve members dragged their feet across the grass before pairing up to stretch out. Most of the team—Tsukki excluded—continued glancing at the tubs that Sensei Takeda is checking one by one by sticking a thermometer into the ice water that fills the tubs. After a couple stretches, it seems that Tanaka can no longer contain his curiosity. He calls out, as he pulls Ennoshita further into his stretch, “Coach! What’s with the buckets?”

Coach Ukai looks up from where he has been glaring at an article on his cell phone. He slips the device into his pocket and folds his arms, addressing the whole team, “These are tubs. They’re for ice baths; many coaches swear that, when exposed to the ice bath after training, it helps stop micro-tears in your muscles. It’s supposed to also help get rid of soreness so, I thought we’d give this a try since we don’t have competitions for another month. If it doesn’t work, we can stop, but if it does, maybe we’ll have a slight advantage if we do this after every workout?”

He shrugs as if he couldn’t be bothered either way. Takeda finishes measuring the temperatures and slides the thermometer into a pouch before walking up to stand alongside Coach Ukai, a stopwatch bouncing off his chest from where it hangs by a string around his neck. He looks like an American coach—albeit, less muscly and mustached—with the stopwatch paired with his polo tee, clipboard, and ball cap he has dawned to block some of the sun’s rays. The boys finish their stretches and slowly push up off the ground and onto their feet.

“Okay, you’re all already paired up so just stay with your current partner for the ice baths. There are changes of swim trunks for you in the back room of the gym.” Takeda says with a smile.

“Let’s hustle!” Ukai adds sharply, making Kageyama pick up his feet instead of doing the grandmother-like schlump-walk he’d been executing.

The boys change quickly and are back outside, their sweat-soaked skin glistening under the sun’s hot rays. The coach tells each pair to find a tub before he starts going over the procedure. One partner would go first, staying in the water no less than seven minutes, but no more than ten and to make sure that the water covers their shoulders since they had done a multitude of arm exercises as well today.

“Alright! Let’s get partner number one in the water,” Ukai finishes.

Tanaka squeals like a baby before he even gets one entire foot in the ice water, Asahi looks extremely nervous and tells Noya to go first instead, Hinata plops into the water with too much excitement, splashing Kageyama who shouts at him (“Hinata! You airhead!”), and Tsukki just slowly slips in like a shark returning to the ocean while ignoring Yamaguchi’s excited babbling. Suga and Daichi had obviously chosen each other as partners, being co-captains, best friends, and wanting to avoid being with rowdy underclassmen, and Daichi slowly starts sinking to a seat in the water.

Once he’s finally lowered himself so his shoulders are covered and Takeda calls, “Start!”, Suga asks, “How is it?”

“Cold.” Daichi shudders with a wry smile.

Suga laughs, sitting cross-legged in the grass alongside the tub. “I mean, is it terribly cold or is it bearable?”

“Uh… I guess kinda in-between?” Daichi says, shifting in the water a bit. He’s careful to not let it splash over the edge. “Getting in kinda sucks at first, but now that I’m used to it… it’s not that bad.”

“Stop splashing, dumbass!” Kageyama’s annoyed bark is heard from their left.

Suga nods and huffs, “What are we going to do with those two?”

“I don’t know. You’d probably be the one to make that call, but I’ll be behind your decision one-hundred percent.” Daichi responds, shooting the light-haired setter a grin over the side of the tub.

After about eight minutes, Coach calls it and Takeda hands out some seriously old-looking towels amongst the six dripping team members before going to grab more ice. He pours it into each tub meticulously as the six boys pat themselves dry and chat loudly. Noya is laughing loudly as Asahi worries about the temperature of the water and Suga glances over at the two, lips quirking upwards. Daichi looks down at Suga, pausing his toweling off as he takes in his long-time best friend. The sunlight is pouring over him, turning his ashen locks silver and making his pale skin lightly shade pink. Light brown eyes meet his and he looks away, thankful for the distraction of Takeda bustling over to pour ice into the tub before taking its temperature.

“So, you ready?” Daichi asks, trying not to watch as Sugawara strips of his white tee shirt, tossing it onto the grass. He fails, tracking the motion in his peripheral vision.

“As ready as I’ll ever be!” Suga shrugs, shooting Daichi a bright smile.

The second set of team members begin shedding their tops as well, standing and getting ready to step into the now-prepped tubs. “Okay, you can get in.” Ukai says, sounding distracted—he’s staring at the article on his phone again. The second group of team mates step into the tubs with the always-inspiring words of Tanaka cheering them on: “Look at your faces! It’s so cold!” Suga clenches his teeth as he lowers himself into the water; it’s much colder than he anticipated and he can practically feel his bones freezing over. Kageyama is murmuring about how Hinata splashed out all the water earlier so he is “sitting in a tub of only ice, you dumbass.”

Suga is gripping the rim of the tub tightly, knuckles whiter than his fair skin. He puffs out a breath, slowly-slowly sinking the rest of the way into the icy water. It covers his shoulders and laps at his neck, making him flinch when he lets go of the sides and lets his arms be submerged. He closes his eyes, trying to focus on the warmth of the sunlight as it hits his dry face and the sound of his friends talking amongst him.

“Coach! Kageyama looks like he’s going to bite Hinata’s head off!” Tanaka manages between snorts.

“My mouth is not that big enough for that.” Kageyama retorts in all seriousness, sending Tanaka and a few others into peals of laughter.

“Idiot.” Tsukki says under his breath.

Suga is pulled from his focus on the others’ conversations by Daichi’s voice imploring his name. He opens his eyes, shuddering as he looks up at the captain. “Yes?”

“Are you alright?” Daichi’s voice is quiet and worried, one arm draped over the side of the bucket as he kneels beside it.

“I’m fine, Sawamura-san,” Suga laughs, giving another smile. “Besides, not much longer, right?”

Daichi’s eyebrows furrow and he turns to look at Takeda. “Sensei, how much longer?” he asks with a slight nod towards the stopwatch blinking numbers.

“Uh… About six more minutes.” He replies after looking at the timekeeper’s screen.

Daichi turns back to Suga and opens his mouth to say something when Suga just murmurs, “Stop worrying, Daichi.”

The setter’s eyes close again and tips his head back to rest on the edge of the metal tub and Daichi tries—really, he does—not to fluster over the boy. But another minute passes and Suga shudders again. Daichi can see Sugawara’s teeth chattering before his jaw clenches in an effort to stop. He tries to listen to the conversations of his friends as well, but can only listen to Tanaka gush over Kiyoko for so long. He turns back to Suga and worries his bottom lip.

“How much longer now?” he asks Takeda.

“Three minutes,” Takeda answers, looking at Daichi with slight confusion. “Why?”

“Nothing. I apologize if I am interrupting.” Daichi bows slightly.

“No trouble at all!” Takeda says before wandering to stand by Ukai again.

“I told you not t-to worry, Daichan.” Suga has one eye cracked open and is looking at Daichi in a scolding-but-caring sort of way.

Daichi flushes a bit, rubbing the back of his neck and saying, “I think you should get out, honestly.”

“I will when the next three minutes is up.” Suga teases, both eyes open and twinkling.

Daichi huffs and focuses his attention on putting his own tee back on. He sits in the grass for a minute, ripping blades up from the ground in an attempt to distract himself. He looks at his best friend/crush and worries his own bottom lip between his teeth because Suga’s lips that usually look like pink cherry blossom petals are tinted a shade of pale blue. Daichi sees Suga shiver again, the water rippling in microscopic waves from the tremors of the pale boy. Daichi pouts, not wanting to be annoying his friend, but also not wanting him to turn into a popsicle. Suga’s teeth begin chattering again and that tears it, time limit be damned.

“Okay, get out of the water.” Daichi says as he pushes himself off the ground.

Suga looks up at Daichi along with a couple others. He doesn’t argue, though, giving in and slowly rising from the ice-cold water. Daichi reaches out, gently holding Suga’s elbow, helping him step over the side of the tub. Coach Ukai comes over, a worn-looking maroon towel in his hand. “You okay, Sugawara?” he asks, handing him the towel.

“F-fine,” Suga replies, wrapping the towel around his shoulders as another shiver shakes his body.

“Suga-senpei! Are you okay?” Hinata calls, leaping to his feet like a jumping bean.

“I’m okay,” Suga says, waving his hand.

“You’re freezing. And your lips are blue.” Daichi shakes his head, giving the setter his own towel to use as well.

Suga is completely dry by the time Coach Ukai says the others can get out of their own ice-baths. “Okay, guys! Let’s clean these up!” Coach orders. “Drain the tubs and Takeda-senpei will show you where to store them!” He pauses, looking at Suga, who is pathetic and shivering like a blender set to puree. “Suga, you and Daichi just work on getting you warmed up.”

The two boys nod before moving to sit on the concrete steps leading to the gym. The sun had begun setting and is now low enough that, even under the overhang, the light is able to hit Suga’s cold skin. Daichi frowns deeply. Suga is still shuddering a minute later, wearing his tee again as he curls in around his knees that are tucked up to his chest, facing Daichi and the sun behind him. He keeps rubbing his hands together and blowing on them. Daichi remembers something he saw on the Discovery Channel and he immediately grasps Suga’s hands in between both of his, turning and facing Suga head-on, feet bracketing Suga’s. Suga’s eyes are wide as he looks up at Daichi.

“Shared body heat is supposed to help people warm up faster,” Daichi explains, hoping the blush on his face isn’t too severe.

“Well, my lips are pretty cold, too.” Suga says, face completely serious.

Daichi knows his blush is visible when he looks up from their hands. “W-What?!”

“You said they were blue, right?” Suga asks, tilting his head as he smiles brightly. The thinner boy looks nervous behind the familiar smile. He shivers again, but this one isn’t so violent.

Daichi is frozen, head filled with questions and excitement. He supposed he’s been shocked and staring at Suga for a beat too long because the setter’s smile falls a bit and he opens his mouth, probably to backtrack if Daichi knows Suga correctly. “I—yes, they are blue.” he blurts out, wondering if he’s reading this wrong and being a massive creep.

“Well, aren’t you supposed to be helping me warm up?” he’s got that nervous-excited glint in his honey-brown eyes that makes Daichi swallow thickly.

He leans forwards slowly, giving Suga time to say he was “just joking”, but the thinner boy doesn’t pull away as he inches his face towards his friend’s. Daichi pauses and the gap is closed by Suga surging forwards the last inch. His lips _are_ cold, but Daichi’s are warm. It’s a slow, chaste kiss. Nothing flashy, just a press of lips fitting together. Suga hums into the kiss slightly, seeming quite pleased with himself as he moves his hands so that he and Daichi’s fingers are interlocking.

“Mom and Dad are kissing!” Shoyo’s already-loud voice blasts, breaking them apart.

Nishanoya is standing a few feet from the steps, pointing and looking a mixture of scandalized and excited.

“No way!” Asahi rounds the corner, screeching to a stop when he realizes that Noya broke up the kiss. He turns to stone, eyes widening in fear as he utters, “Daichi is gonna kill us now.”

Hinata and Kageyama are milliseconds behind Asahi, tripping over each other to in order to reach the scene first. “You _kissed_?!” Hinata exclaims only to have Asahi round on him, making slicing gestures across his throat with both hands.

“Of course they kissed!” Tanaka laughs, the last to swagger up. “They’ve been in love for years. Like me and Kiyoko-san.” He finishes, prancing on his toes.

Daichi’s face is confused and red. He looks helplessly to Suga, who shrugs and nods in agreeance with what Tanaka had stated and wow. That flips Daichi because he’d thought he was alone in his pining for the other. “I guess we don’t have to worry about coming out to the team.” Suga says with a chuckle, squeezing Daichi’s hands in his.

Daichi huffs a laugh, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Suga’s forehead.

“Lovebirds!” Tanaka coos, batting his eyelashes.

“Get out of here.” Daichi says in his captain voice.

The team scatters, leaving the new couple alone again. They laugh with each other as they talk in low tones. The sun begins to set and the coaches lock up and their team heads to the store and they still sit, hands still interlocked. Suga keeps telling Daichi his lips are cold and he keeps kissing Suga even though his lips stopped being blue a long time ago.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! No beta, so let me know about mistakes!  
> There is a lack of daisuga-centric fics and I am working on fixing that problem... I am debating writing a longer daisuga fic as well... Any suggestions?;)


End file.
